Tax water to provide clean water to all Californians

As many as one in four schools in the Central Valley have unsafe drinking water. Schools spend their limited resources on bottled water instead of books and on portable bathrooms instead of pens and pencils.

In 2012, California became one of the first states in the nation to establish access to clean, safe drinking water as a legal right.

Yet five years later, far too many California residents, including children, still are exposed to contaminated water.

The sixth- largest economy in the world, California has more than 1 million people without access to safe drinking water.

The burdens of pollution are borne disproportionately by rural, low-income communities and communities of color — people who can least afford to deal with it.

Many of the water districts with contaminated supplies cannot afford ongoing operations and maintenance costs. Californians in these communities have been exposed to chemicals such as arsenic, nitrates and trihalomethanes.

Long- term exposure has been linked to cancer, nervous system decline, miscarriages and reduced mental functioning in children.

Cash- strapped water systems force residents to spend an excessive amount of their small incomes in these areas on bottled water, on top of the high bills they already pay for water that isn’t safe for drinking or cooking.

According to the Community Water Center, some families pay up to 10 percent of their income on water.

Poor water quality extends beyond the home.

Schools across the state are unable to provide students with safe water.

As many as one in four schools in the Central Valley have unsafe drinking water. Schools spend their limited resources on bottled water instead of books and on portable bathrooms instead of pens and pencils.

The fight for clean water in California is a fight for justice. No Californian should be exposed to toxins or hazardous waste because of where they live, and no child should get sick because of where he or she goes to school.

Now is the time to invest in drinking and wastewater systems that can keep our communities healthy and safe.

The biggest barrier is the lack of reliable funding to keep water systems operable.

That’s why a bipartisan co- alition of stakeholders has announced a groundbreaking deal included in Senate Bill 623. It will establish the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund to provide an ongoing source of funding to ensure all Californians have access to safe and affordable drinking water.

Multiple stakeholders came to the table to negotiate SB 623, including environmental justice groups, agricultural and dairy associations, water districts and the California Water Foundation.

After months of compromise, the bill faces a final test to secure two-thirds support in both houses of the legislature and the governor’s signature.

The Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund would be funded by Californians.

Growers and farmers would pay a fee on fertilizer, which is a main contributor to contaminated drinking water, while households would pay a fee of up to $1 per month.

It’s a modest fee, but it is critical to the overall solution for communities in need.

California has led the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change.

The time is now to ensure the public’s health and affirm the public’s right to safe, clean, affordable drinking water.

Join us by embracing this smart consensus.

Please communicate your support for SB 623 to your local water agency and your state representatives.

Let’s make sure that the right to clean water that many of us take for granted is enjoyed by all Californians.